Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “rolling” come from?

Rolling derives from Middle English rollen, from Old French rolle, from Latin rotula (small wheel), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ret- (to run or turn).

rolling (English): Drunk; intoxicated from alcohol, staggering;...

Definitions

  1. Drunk; intoxicated from alcohol, staggering;...

Ancestry of “rolling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrollTo cause to revolve by turning over and over; to...
2Middle Englishrolle—
3Old Frenchrolleregistration
4Medieval Latinrotulusa roll, list, catalogue, schedule, record, a...
5Latinrotulaa small wheel; roll
6Arabicرَطْل—
7Classical Syriacܪܝܛܠܐ—
8Classical Syriacܠܝܛܪܐlibra, pound
9Frenchlitrelitre
10Medieval Latinlitra—
11Ancient Greekλίτραlitra, a Sicilian silver coin; libra, a unit of...
12Proto-Italic*līðrā—

Words derived from “rolling”

  • logrolling
  • rollingstock
Every word from Proto-Italic *līðrā →